Chapter 116: Good Times... Only Existed Yesterday
Ciri immediately straightened up. "Sir Lynn, just give your orders."
"Well," Lynn considered his words, "it's like this, as you probably know, I am a witcher."
"Every winter, I have to return to the school's main headquarters once."
Ciri's youthful face showed a determined expression. "Please rest assured, Sir Lynn. When you are not here, I will definitely take good care of your residence."
"No, what I mean is, during this time, you should stay at Vivaldi Bank first, and we'll talk when I return."
The tradition of the Wolf School was that every Wolf School witcher had to return to Kaer Morhen for the winter and stay in that castle for the entire season.
This wasn't like the previous adventure with Professor Dijkstra and the others, where the time was too long.
Leaving Ciri, a small child, in this empty house, the witcher was really uneasy.
Even though the house was in the upper city, and the upper city's security was better than the lower city, without an adult present, it was always impossible to feel at ease.
If people found out that there was only a child in this house, it was inevitable that some bad people would have malicious intentions.
After all, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must have the heart to guard against others.
Letting her stay at Vivaldi Bank, with Vimme watching over her, would put Lynn's mind at ease a lot.
"Yes, if that's your decision..."
Ciri very sensibly didn't raise any objections.
It seemed that as long as it was Lynn's intention, she could accept any decision.
This well-behaved appearance made the witcher couldn't help but pat her shoulder, and then he left home and headed to Vivaldi Bank.
...
In the VIP room of Vivaldi Bank.
Lynn and Vimme Vivaldi sat opposite each other.
After Lynn told Vimme about Ciri, the dwarven banker chuckled and agreed.
"It's no problem at all. This child isn't like other human children. I like her just by looking at her. Of course, it's no trouble."
"This is really a great help. Also, Master Vimme, I actually have another favor I need to ask of you."
Vimme smiled and said, "Please speak."
"It's like this. I need some stonemasons, carpenters, and bricklayers, preferably those who have experience in building and maintaining castles as the top priority. The employment period is one year, and they need to travel far."
After listening, Vimme didn't hesitate at all and immediately patted his chest to indicate his agreement.
"No problem at all! I happen to know some sturdy dwarven lads who fit your requirements. But I'm a bit curious," Vimme scratched his cheek, "Master, what do you need these people for?"
Lynn said with a smile.
"Sorry, Master Vimme, this is confidential, so it's inconvenient to disclose."
"Oh, I see, haha, no problem." Vimme laughed heartily.
"Since it's inconvenient to disclose, then I won't ask. But, I have one question that I must clarify first," Vimme held out two fingers and rubbed them together quickly, "Employing people to work requires paying wages, especially professional craftsmen with castle maintenance experience. Master Witcher, is your purse still healthy?"
"Don't worry about that, it's very healthy."
The gold coins scavenged from Prince Adrian's secret room, all added together, would be roughly around ten thousand crowns when converted.
And after completing the exploration of the elven ruins of Aen Elle, Lynn received another eight thousand crowns worth of elven gold coins.
Adding the rewards he received for serving Brouver Hoog, Istrade, and Triss respectively before...
The total surprisingly exceeded twenty thousand crowns.
These were high-value crowns. If converted to orens, it would be even more.
Speaking of which, his luck was really爆棚.
In his first year down the mountain, he had encountered so many generous employers.
Although Lynn's wallet was now bulging, his mind was still very clear.
He hadn't been blinded by money. He knew he was an exception.
Most witchers didn't have his good luck.
They more often worked for those difficult commoners, and sometimes they didn't even get paid after finishing the job.
Even if there were honest and upright farmers willing to pay, they themselves were exploited by the nobles, so how much money could they afford to pay the witcher?
After deducting the cost of repairing silver swords, brewing potions, and making alchemical bombs, how much would be left?
This was also why most witchers lived in poverty.
Actually, the reason why Lynn needed stonemasons, carpenters, and bricklayers was to repair the walls of Kaer Morhen.
He knew that Vesemir couldn't let go of Kaer Morhen.
Lambert had once said that Kaer Morhen was as cold as a frost giant's ass, and he really couldn't understand why they still held onto this pile of rotten stones.
As a result, Vesemir said nothing, grabbed his sword, and left.
He didn't return for several months.
Lambert didn't understand.
Perhaps others also didn't understand why Vesemir wouldn't abandon Kaer Morhen like the other witcher schools.
But Lynn knew.
Because Vesemir was different from them.
Vesemir was the longest-lived witcher to date. He had a hat popular in 1112 in his trunk, indicating that he was at least from the 11th century.
Vesemir had experienced the glory days of the Wolf School. In his youth, Kaer Morhen wasn't so desolate.
The hall was filled with the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts...
Apprentices sweated in the training grounds...
The blacksmith's forge was always lit...
The smell of brewing potions in the alchemy lab never dissipated...
When people got old, they always habitually recalled the past.
Even witchers were no exception.
That's why Vesemir was unwilling to give up Kaer Morhen.
That's why he insisted that Wolf School witchers must return to the castle every year for the winter.
Vesemir wasn't unaware that those good times were gone.
He wasn't stuck in the past and unable to move on.
It's just...
People, they always need to believe in something to live.
Don't they?
Perhaps Vesemir's dream was just like most parents, hoping that his children would be safe and happy.
Although Lynn didn't have Vesemir's dream, he could protect Vesemir's dream.
Since Kaer Morhen was the home of the Wolf School.
Then why not repair the home?
Moreover, he was doing this not only to make Vesemir happy.
There was another reason, which was to shut Lambert up.
Lambert had always been intolerant of cold. As soon as it snowed, he would complain endlessly.
If the castle was repaired and made warmer, then Lambert would nag less, and everyone's ears would be cleaner.
Finally, and most importantly.
Since he had decided to revive the witchers in the future, Kaer Morhen, as the headquarters, would eventually need to be repaired. Since it had to be repaired sooner or later, what was the difference between repairing it now and repairing it later?
(End of this chapter)
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